Pocket Pause

December 29, 2012

Farm Update – Christmas at the New Farm

A friend on Facebook told me “well, you’re a real farmer now: you’re working on Christmas!” I wouldn’t go that far, but we did get some projects worked on during the holiday and even cooked a side dish to bring to Christmas dinner hosted by a kind friend. (A side dish that i’ve been meaning to post to this blog for ages now, but forgot to take pictures of- argh!) It is my family tradition to snack on summer sausage and other naughty things while opening gifts Christmas morning, so although we had no gifts to open i whipped up some naughties for feasting on just the same. Yes, those are crescent roles wrapped around cocktail weiners. No, that is not “real food” but it was delicious!

The bedroom is now finished in a lovely snowy blue, save one area that my husband needs to patch up thanks to a pesky mouse…. The mouse tally, by the way is only up to 3. I will persist. I am the great mouse hunter. I am armed and dangerous!

I just realized while posting this that here’s a photo of me painting on Christmas…. reminding me quite a bit of a photo of me painting our old living room on Halloween back in 2007. Ah, memories. I can’t believe how i transformed that dirty little house into a warm and lovely home – i will do it again! I also can’t believe how much longer my hair is now – look at me all young and “hip” back in my Austin days.

This weekend, we are enjoying our ‘real’ Christmas a weekend late and celebrating with my mom and step-dad down in southern Oregon. What’s even more exciting: we’re returning to the farm with a moving van and all our stored stuff!!! Ah, i’m so excited, and maybe we’ll even find the box with our winter coats, which we never could find last year.

Enough blathering – happy new year!

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Filed under The Homestead

December 28, 2012

Building Bandit – A Fiber Friend Comes to Life!

I had so many fun orders this Christmas for custom pets from fluffy poodles to my favorite breed, Corgis – and i even got to work on a Cardigan AND a fluffy! I just love getting to see photos of all my clients’ beloved pets, and it’s even more special to create a custom pet that will be given as a gift. I’m afraid i may have spoiled a few surprises by posting photos of my favorite Friends to my facebook page… but now that the holiday is over, i can post photos at will! Here’s little Bandit:

I thought it might be fun to post some photos of how i make a Fiber Friend. The basic construction for every animal is the same: torso first, then legs – back then front, add a tail, then color, head, ears and final details. Fluffy pets take about twice as long as smooth coated animals and complicated patterns take longer than plan black or gray animals. I think my favorite pattern of all is brindle, because it has so much variation i can really play with the mottling to create a realistic look. Here’s how i turn a few bits of fluff into a finished Fiber Friend (hover over the photos for captions):

After i complete each friend i let it rest overnight for the wool to relax. I touch it up in the morning, package him with his own little label, gift note and gift-ready box, seal with the Fiber Friends special delivery stamp and it’s ready for its new home! Each friend takes 2-4 hours to complete, not counting the fun conversations i have with my customers to figure out the best pose and get great photos to work from. I love what i do! Speaking of, i’d better get back to work, i still have a waiting list to take care of!

Happy new year, everyone!

Twas a Fiber Friendly Christmas!

First off: thank you to all you wonderful friends and family who commissioned special felt pets for your loved ones for Christmas this year. You made my holiday bright and i know you how happy you made your gift recipients! I’ve already received a few emails and Facebook posts from happy folks enjoying their new little Fiber Friends, a few including adorable photos! (You absolutely must visit this album posted by a proud new Fiber Friend owner – it is too cute!!)

I absolutely love customer appreciation photos! They make me absolutely squeal! I had to hold back a few photos so as not to spoil any surprises (which i managed to do anyway) so here are a few of my favorite “customers” this last month, including some fluffy pups who challenged me to improve my craft by leaps and bounds!

It Was a Fiber Friends Christmas – 2012

Bandit and Walter:

Sophie the Border Collie:

Rio and Tippet:

Olive and Lulu:

I had so many fun dogs to work on this holiday that my in stock inventory has slipped pretty intensely. Add moving into a dilapidated house to my to-do list, it’s been difficult to get “back to work.” But back to work i will get with a full line of farm animals and a new “angle” i’m working on later this spring: Fiber Friends for weddings! I still have a short waiting list full of very patient customers that i’m about to dive into right now! The rest of this month and January will be pretty busy with housekeeping, but i plan on digging in mid to late January and will be ready for your project, big or small!

As an fyi – i do plan on raising my prices for custom pets at the end of January 2013. I pride myself in keeping my prices low and affordable, but as i have improved and honed my craft and expanded beyond just Corgis, the time spent crafting each little doggie has extended and i just honestly need to charge a bit more. I don’t plan on ever getting to the $150 to $200+ of some of those “other” felters out there, but as i believe all my happy customers would tell you: my rate is worth every penny! With Fiber Friends you not only get an adorable finished product, you get rockin’ customer service and gift-ready packaging to boot.

Merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone! Here’s to 2013 being the best year ever!

What was your favorite Christmas / Chanukah gift this year – given or received?

Farm Update: Clean and Sparkley…. Almost

The cat pee smell is subsiding thanks to Nature’s Miracle and elbow grease. Carpets are gone, flooring is cleaned and every SINGLE piece of wood trim has been lovingly caressed with delicious smelling Frommer’s citrus oil. My wrists are killing me!

Before and after:

We even cooked our first meal in the house! Grilled cheese never tasted so good.

Pocket is going to need some convincing that this big place without any couches for cuddling on is as awesome as it is…. she doesn’t much like trying to keep track of both her humans when they’re on two sides of a big, two story house.